white



(NU Model W. RQWHITB GATE.

Patented Ma Nl l 1 s Noam: vsrzns cov, Harn-LAND.. wnmmcmuA n. c.

UNTTED STATES PATENT @Prion IVILLIAM RICHARD IVHITE, OF BLOOMINGTON,ILLINOIS.

GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 583,350, dated May 25,1897.

Application filed March 24, 1897. Serial No. 629,065. (No model.)

To all wtont it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM RICHARD VHITE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Bloomington, in the county of McLean and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gates, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inswinging gates; and it consists, substantially, in such features ofconstruction, arrangement, and combinations of parts as will hereinafterbe more particularly described.

The invention has reference more particularly to that class of swinginggates in which the gate is operated to be opened and closed through themedium of hand-levers and suitable devices connecting the same with thegate. As distinguished from a number of former patents granted me onthis subject the present invention comprises a longitudinally-movablelatch-bar that is normally in a retracted position when the gate isclosed and locked, instead of the reverse, and it therefore becomesnecessary in the present instance to so construct and arrange theoperative connections that the said latch-bar will be caused to beprojected to release the gate instead of retracted for that purpose. Iwill not attempt to enumerate the advantages of a latch-bar thusdisposed, but Will simply state the object of the present invention tobe to provide means whereby while the gate is always securely maintainedin a locked position it requires the exercise of but little force orstrength to release the latch-bar in either position of the gate.

The present invention comprises a special form and arrangement ofmovable lever for operating` the latch-bar and for transferring thepulling strain upon the gate from said latch-bar to thelaterally-projecting frame on the gate which supports or holds the saidlever. The parts are so disposed that the movement of the latch-bar isalways in a direct line, and no strain is exerted thereon other than thesmall amount required to move the same longitudinally for releasing theengaging end thereof from the catches. Immediately the bar is releasedthe strain is directly received by the lateral frame and indirectly bythe gate itself, and in virtue of the exceeding lightness of thestructure the inner ends of the operating hand-levers are not requiredto be made so heavy as heretofore.

- In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a View in perspective of aswinging gate em` bodying my improvements, a part of thelaterally-projecting frame on the gate being broken away to more clearlyindicate the construction and arrangement of the operative parts. Fig. 2is a top or plan view, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the rockingoscillating lever detached.

While my present invention is a special form of device for operating thelatch-bar, it will of course be understood that it is capable of changeor alteration in immaterial respects in order to meet the requirementsor exigencies of any particular case. Thus in the drawings l representsthe gate, which is shown in its closed position and which, it will beunderstood, may be constructed in any suitable way. I have shown thesame constructed of a number of fiat bars 2, united and held at suitabledistances apart by the duplicate vertical strips 3 and rivets or bolts4.

Arranged on one side of the roadway and in alinement with each other arethe posts 5, 6, and 7, held together` by a cross-piece 8 and braces 9l0, so as to give steadiness to the structure. The gate is mounted toswing on hinges Il l2, secured to the post 7, and opposite the said post7 on the other side of the roadway is another post 13, against which thegate closes.

The operating hand-levers are designated at 14. 14., one being fulcrumedon the side of the post 5 and the other on the side of the brace 10; andthe inner ends of said levers are movably joined together in anysuitable way, so as to be capable of rising and falling together attheir inner ends whenever they are pulled upon at their outer ends toopen or close the gate. Some form of guide is necessary for said levers,and I have shown a simple rectangular wire guide l5, fastened to theside of the central post G.

Projecting from the side of the gate at the hinged end thereof adjacentto the movablyconnected ends of the operating hand-lever is a lateralframe 20, preferably of an approximately triangular shape in plan View,althou gh it could be modified in different ways IOO as regards itsparticular shape. Said laterally-projecting frame is secured to the gatein any suitable manner, preferably a short distance above the movablelatch-bar 22, and it is braced in position by means of the braces At thepoint where the two side portions of the lateral frame meet or intersectitis desirable to provide some means for supporting and limiting themovements of the rocking oscillating lever 25, that operates thelatchbar, and while different means could be employed I preferablyconstruct the frame at the point mentioned with a three-sided offset orbox-like extension 2G,` the sides 27 thereof serving between them tolimit or stop the movements of the rocking oscillating lever, as well asto receive the pulling strain necessary to either open or close thegate, while the third or outer side 2S thereof is provided with anopening` 29 for receiving the outer end of the lever as a bearingtherefor. Connecting the two sides of said frame is a strip 29, havingan openinOP 29".

The movable latch-bar 22 is supported to move longitudinally between theduplicate vertical strips 3 of the gate, and at its outer end the saidbar is constructed in any suitable manner to be engaged by a shoulder 30on the catch 3l, that is secured to the post 13. To be so engaged, theend of the latch-bar could be provided with a |sl1aped portion or elsewith a loop of either a round, oblong, or other preferred shape, orinstead of this the'latch-bar could be slotted or else provided with asubstantial hook or other engaging device. Y In fact, so many differentconstructions could be resorted to that it is unnecessary to mentionthem all, but as a convenient construction I employ a simple rectangularloop 32 of a height sufficient to engage the catch at whatever verticaladjustment to which the gate may be mounted. At or near its outer endthe said latch-bar is in movable connection with the upper end of ashort rod 33, the lower end of which is pivoted at or near the outer endof the lower bar of the gate. Other means than this could vbe providedas a swinging support for said latch-bar, but the present one has beenemployed by me in several former instances, and I have found the same tobe simple and convenient. At a suitable distance from the inner end ofthe latch-bar an opening 34E is formed, which is arranged slightlynearer the hinged end of the gate than is the opening 29" of theconnecting-strip 29 of the laterally-projecting frame.

The laterally-projectin g frame is preferably arranged higher than thelatch-bar, so that the outer end of .the rocking oscillating lever 25 iscarried up high enough to be out of the way of small stock, and also forthe purpose of imparting to said lever a certain degree of inclination,by which the desired eiect is produced upon the latch-bar with butslight movement to the lever. Thus the said lever 25 is bent or formedat its upper and outer end with an eye or loop 35, and also with a shortmember 3G', that is inserted through the opening 29 of the offset orextension 2G of the lateral frame, it being noted that the said eye orloop 35 is in movable connection with the lower end of theconnecting-bar 38, the upper end of which is in movable connection withthe inner end of one of the operating handlevers. The said eye or loop35 and member 3G of the lever are so proportioned that the former iselevated above the upper edge of the limiting-stop of the lateral frame,and in this way the connection with the connectingbar is never preventedfrom working properly, and the short member 3G is permitted to rock fromside to side, so as to impart the proper oscillating movement to thelonger arm or member 4.0 of the lever. This said longer arm of the leverpasses down through the slightly-enlarged opening 2f of theconnecting-strip 29 of the frame on the gate, and the end of the sameenters the opening in the latch-bar. As thus disposed the lever isinclined downwardlyin the direction of the side of the gate, as well ashaving its inner end inclined slightly in the direction of the hingedend of the gate7 or to an extent suiiicient to impart movement to thelatch-bar necessary to release the same.

The post 5 is also provided with a catchplate 50, having a shoulder bywhich the latchbar is engaged when the gate is opened, and while in'itsopen kposition the latch-bar is in its projected or advanced position invirtue of the fact that the position of the rocking oscillating leverand the connecting-bar is then reversed.

On pulling upon one of the hand-levers to open the gate the latch-barwill be projected forward by a simple rocking of the shorter member ofthe lever from one side to the other of the stop or extension on thelateral frame, the longer member being oscillated by this movement. Thepulling strain is then tal-:en almost entirely from the lever andimparted to the gate indirectly through the frame. On closing the gatethe reverse is the action, as is obvious.

As distinguished 'from either a rocking lever or an oscillating leverper se, it will be observed that the lever 25 combines both movements,in that the shorter vertical arm or member thereof simply rocks initsbearing, while to the end' of thelonger arm thereof an oscillatingmovement is imparted in `the direction of length of the latch-bar.

Tithout limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangement ofparts shown, what I claim as my invention is l. In a gate, thecombination of a movable latch-bar, operating hand-levers for the gate,a combined rocking and oscillatinglever for operating the latch-bar, andconnections between said lever and the operating-levers, substantiallyas described.

2. In a gate, the combination of a movable latch, operating hand-leversfor the gate, 'a combined rocking and oseillatinglever for IIO operatingthe latch-bar, a stop for limiting the movements of the lever in bothdirections, and for receiving the pulling strain upon the gate, andconnections between said lever and the operating-levers, substantiallyas described.

3. In a gate, the combination of a movable latch-bar, alaterally-projecting frame on the side of the gate, operatinghand-levers for the gate, a combined rocking and oscillating leverhaving a longer inclined arm in movable connection with the latch-barand a shorter vertical arm movably supported by the frame, andconnections between the lever at the union of its two arms, and thehandlevers, substantially as described.

4. In a gate, the combination of a movable latch-bar, alaterally-projecting frame on the side of the gate, and constructed witha connecting-strip having an opening and a threesided offset or stopextensiomoperating handlevers for the gate, a combined rocking andoscillating lever having a longer inclined arm passing through theopening in the connecting-strip and being in movable connection with thelatch-bar, and a shorter vertical arm having its bearing in said stopextension, and a bar connecting the lever at the union of its two armsand being in movable connection with the inner end of one of the 0perat'ing-levers, substantially as described.

5. In a gate, the combination of a movable latch-bar, operatinghand-levers for the gate, a frame on the side of the gate, a leverconstructed with one arm to rock in the frame and another arm tooscillate the latch-bar, and connections between said lever and thehand-levers, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

VILLIAM RICHARD lVI-IITE.

Vitnesses:

G. C. WHTE, CHAs. F. RrEcKHoFF.

